Receptacle for card-indexes.



ITO-846,488. PATENTED'MAR. 12, 1907.

. W. LIVINGSTONE.

REGEPTAGLE FOR CARD INDEXES.

APPLICATION rum) 1mm. 190s.

WITNESSES:

PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

W. LIVINGSTONE.

REGEPTAGLE FOR CARD INDEXES.

APPLICATION IILEDMAB. 9, 1906.

3 SHEBTSSHBET 2.

Fly/.6

V Fig. 10.

WITNESSES f INVENTOR ATTORNEY PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

W. LIVINGSTONE. REGEPTAGLE FOR CARD INDEXES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A ttest many.

WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE, OF NFJW YORK, N. Y.

RECEPTACLE FOR CARD-INDEXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed March 9, 1906- Serial No. 305.044.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, WILLIAM Lrvmesroxn, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, Flushing, in the county of Queens and State of Xew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Receptacles for Card-ludexes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in card-index-filing devices.

Card-index-filing devices now in use have certain features in comm'onto wit, the box, the rod passing through the front ofthe box and through the perforated cards to the rear of the box, and a movable follower on the rod to hold the cards together, be they few or the box is sometimes used as a handle by which the box is removed from or replaced in the cabinet; but most have a separate handle for that purpose, and in large public libra ries the boxes show the printed notice to remove the same by the handle and support the weight of the box with the other hand, implying thereby that the use of the knob is forbidden as unreliable and unsafe.

The objects of my invention are, first, to remove the rod and its knob from the outside to the inside of the box, making it absolutely impossible to be used as a handle; second, to effect the withdrawal of the rod from its supports and from the cards for the purpose of taking some of them out or putting others in or changing their places, not through the front of the box, but by raising the cards and rod at the forward end above the upper edges of the front of the box; third, to produce an absolutely perpendicular position of the cards to the bottom of the box when the card-support and rod are raised at their forward end above the upper edge of the front of the box, incidentally raising each card a little above the other next behind and facilitating their separation from each other when by atmospheric or digital moisture they are apt to be pulpy and stick together, and, fourth, to accomplish these objects by a mechanism simple and chea in construction and readily to be attache to boxes now in use without damaging their structural efficiency or disfiguring their appearance. I

In the drawings attached to this specification I have illustrated a card-index-filing device embodying my invention, which will be A knob on the rod on the outside of when not in use.

fully described hereinafter and its novel features pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the box with filing device in its normal position when not in use. Fig. 2 is 'a longitudinal section of box through line C D of Fig. 1, showing in full black lines the filing device in the same position as in Fig. land in broken lines in position for use and also with the movable front rest-plate thrown forward to facilitate the reading of the cards. Fig. 3 is a front view of the box when in the cabinet and not in use. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the box and filing device through line A B of Fig. 2, showing in full black lines the'filing device when not in use and in broken lines in position for use and the movable front reading of the cards. Fig. 5 is a front view of the boxwhen out of the cabinet and ready for use, with the movable front facingplate in it normal position and not thrown rest-plate thrown forward for the easier forward. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the caIdrest substituting twin wire rods for a flat strip for the purpose of providing a larger bearing-surface for the cards without any increase of weight. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the same when the forward end is raised. a

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a modification forraising the card-rest by a lever instead thumb-plate depressed when the other end of the lever inside the box has raised the forward end of the card-rest for use. Fig. 1 1 is a plan view of yet another modification of my invention in which the forward end of the card-rest is raised in the most direct manner to the top of the front of the box without the intermediate action of either cord or pulley or lever and showing one longitudinal half of. the device resting upon the bottom of the box'not in use and the other raised to the top of the front of the box ready for use. Fig. 12 is a compromise longitudinal section through lines A B and O D,

Fig. 11, showing one-half of said modifica- 1 Fig. 9 is a front view Fig. 10 is a front view of the box with said'modification, showing. the

drawn in both positions in full black lines. Fig. 13 is a front view of said modified device,

showing the front of the box removed and one half of the device in its normal position and the other half raised at its forward end to the height of the box. Fig. 14; is a front view. Fig. 15 is a side view of the movable front facing-plate; Fig. 16, a plan view of a suitable blank from which it may be formed. Fig. 17 is a front view; Fig. 18, a side view of the immovable rear facing-plate, and Fig.

19' a plan view of a suitable blank from which it may be formed.

Similarletters of reference designate corres onding parts in all the figures.

n the construction of my filing device, 0. represents the box. I), Figs.. 1, 2, 4, and 8, is a strip of sheet metal of suitable width and thickness and of a length sli htly less than the inside length of thefbox. Tts longitudinal edges are bent downward to give it greater stifiness. At its extreme rear end it has two lateral projections b b, and its normal place in the box is in a central slot or groove 1n the bottom of the box. This central groove is somewhat widened for ashort distance from the rear end of the box to permit the lateral projections bf b to be housed therein, and when covered by the strips b they will be susceptible to a forward-and-backward motion only without losing. their contact with the bottom of the box. (See Figs. 1, 2, and

' 8.) In lieu of this strip b stiff-wire twin 1 Figs l, 2, 11,- and 12.) To t ward'endof. the strip bis suitably attached a I rods 6 b may be used for the purpose of enlarging the bearing-surface of the cards without increase of the weight of the card-rest and to avoid a weakening of the bottom of the-box by'too wide a slot or-groove. In

this case the'ends b b of the twin rods will be bent outwardat right angles to their longitudinal direction to produce the lateral projections restingin suitable recesses pro-. vided in'thebottom of the boxand similarly guarded. by plates 1) 1) against any vertical displacement. (See Figs. 6, 7, 11, 12, and .13.)

- Near to the front and rear ends. of the "strip 1) or twin rods 11 b5 andsuitabl fixed thereto are the supports d and d, t ough .which passes the rod c, being screwed into the support d up to the face of the knobc" andyloosely guided in the support d (fS ee e extreme orpiece of cord, cat t, flexible wire, chain, .or other suitable su stance e, which is. carried front facinghandle h shall be equal to the length of the cord 0 from the uper side of the strip 6 to the low bottom of t e roller f. The handle h has at its extreme edge a slit h a littlewider v and a little longer than the thickness of the cord e, which can be inserted and held there- A short distance back of the rod-support d the stripb or twin rods b If", forming the card-rest, carries the front facing-plate k by means of the hinge 0 insuch a manner that normally it will stand to the strip b or the in by the knob g.- (See Figs. 1,2, and 3.) I i twin rods 1) b forming the card-rest,-at an an le of ninety degrees plus the angle of the strip 1) (when raised) to the bottomjqf the box, while the hinge 0 will permit a limited forward declination of the front face-plate 7c by the finger-piece k to facilitate the reading I of the cards, in either of which positions it will be held securely springs s s, and an opening rovided in front facmg-plate'k will permit the rod 0 to passthroug'h it at whatever angle it maybe placed Figs. 2- and 4.

Between the front facing-plate and the rear rod-support d is the usual sliding block m for closing orextending' the space containing the cards and holding them together, be

l. t e lower end. of the they few or many. The face of this sliding block m is permanently parallel to the frontfacing-plate 7c in its normal osition-that is to sa it stands to the strlp b. or the twin rods 6 forming the card-rest, at an angle supplementary to the angle'of the front facing-plate k,- Fig.' 2. The function of the the same angle and the front facing-plate k I 0Q late is and the rear sliding block m may be a vantageously reversedthat is to say, the sliding block m or itssubstitute,-a rear facing-plate m may be attached to the card-rest m a permanently-fixed position at made longitudinally movable,besides,retaining its limited angular declination by means at one end are perfectly circular tofit the twin rods 1) b and at the other end sufli '-of gradually-elongated bearings kfl'which ciently elongated that the front facing-plate 7c in .its' normal position will have the whole circular opening and the lower edge ofthe elongated bearin s in contact with the twin 'rods b b, and w en the front facing plate 7c, is pulled forward to its inclined posltlon the circular 0 ening and the upper line of the.

elongated earings will ,come in contact with the twin rods b -b t Moreover, these flattened conical bearingsk? 78 have on the; in -1 ward side near the top an open seam, and

-t-heir-elon ated sides a slight inward de res: .sion, Whic will act asa springand ho l" the front facing-plate firmly m eitherjpositi'ons,"

in s. 11,12; 13, .14, (1,151.

the modification shown which the .cord e .orxits preferredi' Substitute Figslh'fi' and 5 v7 the 'twin'rods b I) being made from asn 1-.-. fgle rod, forml'at their forward-ends loop 3, 1n 1 fulcrum n in the slanting slot 1 in the upper end of the front of the box (1. arm of this lever when not in use stands straight out from the slot and has a thumbplate 9 at its end and outside of the front of f the box. The other arm of the lever is in side of the box and extends downward close to the front of the box, with its taper end l curved backward to rest with its extreme point beneath the end of strip 1) or the connecting-plate Zofthe twin rods b biwhich carries the rod-support d. Beneath the slantin slot v and above the handle h is the forke spring 1' r, as shown in full black lines. when preparing for use, a moderate pressure upon the thumb-plate q will depress the short arm of the lever toward the bottom of the slanted slot '0, while the inner and longer arm will raise the strip 1) or the twin rods b b to the desired height, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 8, and the forked s ring r, with suitable depressions, will hol the thumbplate down until relieved by upward pressure.

In the modification shown in Figs. 11', 12, 13,14, 15, 16, 17, 1S, and 19, it is designed to lift the forward end of the card-rest direct without the intermediate action of a lever or roller and cord. For this purpose the twin rods b b are bent at their forward ends atright angles toward each other for a short distance, then upward to about half the hei htof the box, and inward again toward each other, forming there (as the twin rods 6 b are made from a single piece of wire) a transverse horizontal member I) of and int-e gral with the twin rods b b, so located about midway between the bottom and top of the box as to be easily grasped between the thumb and forefinger and lifted to its desired osition above the top of the box. The ower horizontal bends of the twin rods b b are fitted with hooks b b to hold the cardwith the horizontal bends by bending the ends into loops which are less than complete circles, so that they spring over the transverse members and partly encirclethe same, 1 whereby they are clasped on the said menlbers. The other ends of the hooks are bent so that they project below the top of the box on the outside'and hook the card-rest and the top when it is lifted and drawn back until its end rests on top of the box, as shown by Fig. 12. It will be seen that in my invention and all its modifications the rod 0, securely screwed into the su port (1 and loosely carried in support (1, wil at, all times and under. all circu; n stances be inside of thebox and absolutely in- The shorter l visible from the front. The angular lateral projections b b of the card-rest b or the out wardlyl bent ends I) b of the twin rods 6' If, slidable in their proper recesses, ermit the card-rest and rod 0 to be raised an lifted at its forward end in any direction without additional lengthening provision when desired to bring I the card-rest in contact with the upper edge 1 of the front of the box, which would be absolutely necessary if the card-rest was secured to the rear end of the box by a fixed hinge. i The normal position of the front facing-plate k, whether movable or fixed at an angle to the card-rest of ninety degrees plus the an- L gle of the card-rest (when raised) to the bot- 1 tom of the box and the position of the rear sliding block 111 or of its substitute, a fixed rear facing-plate m parallel to it, will naturally c011- fine the cards Z Z between them to a permanently-oblique position to the card-rest, while when the card-rest is raised the position of the cards to the bottom of the box will be absolutely perpendicular. p

The forwardleclining feature of the front facing-plate L by either the'hinges 0 or the elongated conical bearings k' has the advan ta e of allowing the cards to be more closely he (1 together and yet have sufficient space to The substitution of afixed rear facingplate for the present sliding block, which takes about one inch of the length of the box,

placed in a box. g

.I claim as my invention- 1. A receptacle for card-indexes comprising the combination with a receptacle, of a card-rest, a guide-rod to engage the cards, a front facing-plate and a rear follower to hold the cards together, one of which is supported on the card-rest and the other movably con nected'with the guide-rod, all of which said parts when in their normal posit-ion inclosed within and resting upon the bottom of the receptacle, but capable of being raised at the forward end of the receptacle to the desired height the said rod being confined within the receptacle and protected against being used as a handle, substantially as specified. 5 '2. In a receptacle for card-indexes, the combination with a receptacle having lateral with pivotal projections which engage the said slots, at guide-rod mounted thereon, said card-rest adapted to be moved horizontally l and lifted at the forward end to carry the cards to or above the top of the box, a front facing-plate and a rear follower to :hold the cards together, one of-which is supported on i the cardrest and the other movably con-v nected with the guide-rod. said partsin their normal position inclosed within and resting upon the bottom of the receptacle and capaturn them over for reading them successively.

will permit a greater'number of cards to be 5 slots at the rear end. of a card-rest provided I ble of being raised at the forward end of the l receptacle to the desired height, the said rod 4., In receptacles for card-indexes a card-- receptacle, a card-rest slidably .connected therewith at one end and adapted to be lifted to-raise and sustain the cards above the top of the receptacle and to move longitudinally while being lifted, means for holding it in its up er position, and a rod'to engage the cards -an connect them' with the card-support, substantially as specified.

5. In receptacles for card-"indexes, a cardreceptacle, 9. card-restslidably connected therewith at one .end and capable of being lifted to raise and sustain the cards above the top ofthe receptacle, a rod to engage the cards and connect them with the cardrest and a front facing-plate connected with the cardrest to hold the cards normally in an "oblique position with respect to the cardrest, substantial as specified, 6. In receptac' es for cardindexes, a cardreceptacle, a card-rest slidably connected.

therewith at one end. and capable of being lifted to raise and sustain the cards above the top of the receptacle, 8'. rod to engage the cards and connect them with the card-rest, and a front-facing-plate connected with the card;rest' to hold the cards normally in an oblique osition and adapted to'be turned back an' hold them in a more oblique posi .tionwith respect. to the card-rest, substanti'ally as specified.

7 Q In receptacles for card-indexes, a'cardreceptacle, a card-rest slidably connected therewith at one end and capable of being lifted to raise and sustain the cards above the top of, the receptacle. and to move longitudinally when lifted, means for lifting the end to.

its upward position, means for sustaining the end when lifted to its upward position, a rod to engage the cards and connect them withthe card-rest, and a front facing-plate connected with. the card-rest, substantially""as specified. i

8. In receptacles for card-indexes a cardreceptacle, a card-rest slidably connected therewith at one end and capable of being lifted to raise and sustain the cards above the top of the receptacle and to move longitudinally when lifted, means. for sustaining the end when lifted to its upward position, a rod to engage the,cards and connect them with the card-rest, a front facing-plate hinged tothe card-rest and setnormally at an. oblique angle to the bottom of the receptacle and the therewith at one end and capable of being lifted 'atthe opposite end and to move long:-

2 rod but when the card-restis lifted adapted to be turned back to lessen its inclination to the card-rest and rod, substantially asspeci- 9. In receptacles for card-indexes, a cardreceptaclo, a card-rest slidably connected therewith at one end and capable of being lifted and at the same time to rnove longitudinally, a rod to engage the cards and connect them with the card-rest, a front facingplatc hinged to the card-rest set normally at an oblique angle to the bottom ofthe receptacle and the rod, but when the card-support is lifted assuming a position perpendicular to the bottom of the rece tacle and adapted to be turned back and he d in an inclined position with respect to the card-rest and rod to allow the exposed card to be turned downward and away from the card immediately behind it to fully expose the latter, substantially as specified.

- 10. In receptacles for card-indexes, a cardrecep'tacle, a card-rest slidably connectedtherewith atone end and capable of being lifted and to move longitudinally, supports at opposite ends of the card-rest provided a with perforations, the erforation in the support at the liftable en of the card-rest being screw-threaded, and a rod to engage the cards and connect them with the card-rest inserted in. the said perforations and its end next to the su port, substantially as specifiedi.

" 1 1L receptacles for card-indexes, a, cardthe liltable end of the card-rest screwed into receptacle, a card-rest slidably connected therewith at one end and capable of being lifted at the opposite end, su'p orts at opposite ends of the card-rest, a rod to engage'the cards and connect them with the card r est inserted in the supports and connected there- 'with ma similar'manner said rod inclosed within the receptacle normally where it cannot be gotten at, substantially as specified.

12. In receptaclesfor card-indexes,a cardreceptacle, a cardrest slidably connected therewith at one end and capable of being lifted and to mlovelongitudinally, uprights at opposite ends of the card-rest, a rod conconnectthem with .the card-rest, said rod threaded adjacent to the shoulder of the knob llO nected therewith to engage the cards and i and adapted to be inserted in the 'perforations in the uprights and to make screw connection with the upright adjacent to the -liftable end of the card-rest, substantially as specified.

1 3. In receptacles for card-indexes, a card:

receptacle, a card-rest slidably connected tudinally, a rod to engage and connect cards with the card-rest supported. on the card-rest wholly within the receptacle where by it is concealed when the card-rest and the cards are in their normal position in the reried over a roller and the top of the recepfade to the outside of the front thereof,.

means for holding theend of the cord when the card-rest is in its normal osition, and means for securing the same to old and sustain thecard rest when lifted, substantially as specified.

15. In receptacles for card-indexes, a cardrest slidably connected with the receptacle at one end and capable of being lifted at the op-' posite end and at the same time movedlon- -gitudinall a rod to engage and connect the cards wit the card-rest supported on and connected with the card-rest wholly within the rece tacle, a cord attached to the liftable end of t e card-rest andextended u to the top of the receptacle over a roller an its end carried to the outside of the frontthereof, a knob on the end of the cord and a handle on the front of; the receptacle provided with a slit to receive the cord andsecure it for the purpose of holding the card-rest when lifted,

substantially as specified.

16. In receptacles for card-indexes a rectangular box open at the top, a card-rest con-1 SIStIII of a metal striplhavlng lateral projece'rear end, grooves 1n.

tions'ln its edges at t the bottom of the box to receive the said lprojections and thus slidably connect the rear end of the card-rest with the box while the front end' is liftable to the top of the box, a cord having one end connectedwith the cardrest and the other end carried up to the top of thebox and over a roller to the outside of the front, a rod to engage and connect the cards with the card-rest, and means for securing the end of the cord when the card-rest is in its normal position and also when lifted, substantially as specified. 17. In receptacles for card-indexes a -rectangular, box openat'the to a card-rest consistlng of a metal strip having lateral projections on its edges at the rear end, grooves in the bottom'of the box to receive the said projections and thus slidably connectthe rear end of the card-rest with the box while the frontend is liftableto the to of the-box, a cord having one end connecte with the card rest and the other end carried up to the top of the box and over a rollerto theoutside of the front, a rod to engage and connect the cards with the card-rest, a front facing-plate hinged to the card-rest and set normally at an oblique angle thereto, and which when the card-rest is hfted is adapted to be turned back to increase its obliquity to the card-rest, and means for securing the end of the cord when the card-rest is in its normal position and also when it is lifted to theto p of the receptacle, substantially as specified.

18. In receptacles for card-indexes, a rectangular box open at the top, a card-rest consistlng of a metal stri ilhaving lateral projections on its ed es at t e rear end, grooves 1n the bottom of t e box to receive the saidprojections and thus ,slidably connect the rearv end of the card-rest with the box while the front end is liftable to the top of the box, a cord having one end connected with the carda rest and the other vend carried up to the top of the box and over a roller to the outside of the front, a rod to engage and connect the cards with the card-rest, a front'facing-plate hinged to the card-rest and set normally at an oblique an le thereto but when the cardrest is lifted adaptedtobe turned back to increase its ob i uity to the card-rest, substantially as specified y 19. In receptacles for card-indexes, a cardreceptacle, a card-rest slidably connected therewith at one end and capable of being lifted to raise and sustain the cards above the top of the receptacle, a rod toengage the cards and'connect them with the card-rest, a

iii presence of two witnesses.

. WILLIAM LIYINGSTONE.

1 Witnesses: a

G. H. D. FOSTER, I-Lms ANNHEIN;

'above set forth I have aflixed my signature 

